Episode 50 “Towards Better Checked Exceptions” [IJN]

Java’s checked exceptions are both an integral part of the language and one of its most contested features. Whether their introduction was a mistake and whether they should all be turned unchecked are frequently discussed topics but since the former is not overly relevant and the latter unlikely, this conversation isn’t moving Java forward. Instead, let’s talk about specific issues with checked exceptions and what could be done about them - from (entirely speculative) language changes to (marginally realistic) JDK/library evolution to stylistic changes.

Links:

• JEP draft for Exception Handling in switch
• two tutorials for Either:
  • Either Monads in Java: Elegant Error Handling for the Modern Developer
  • Error handling with Either in Java and Kotlin

Make sure to also check the Duke’s Corner podcast on dev.java.

Additional resources

• Inside.java : News and views from members of the Java team at Oracle
• Dev.java : The Destination for Java Developers
• OpenJDK
• Oracle Java

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